Demons Come to Play
by OrionNott
Summary: Part 1 With Wesley's death on her hands, Karen has to deal with the constant torture in her mind.
1. Nightmares

If someone had told her the nightmares would be worse than anything she had ever experienced in her life, she would have closed her eyes when pulling the trigger. Every night after, it was the same damn thing. It changed, for sure, but always the same. The pain and guilt that ripped through her as the scene played over and over was the worst of it. She would take it back and yet, she would do it all again because it was a moment of desperation and a moment of fear for her friends and the people close to her. He had threatened everything that mattered to her.

Wesley's eyes watched her from behind his glasses. She couldn't read him. _"I must admit; you are very tenacious. Reckless, but tenacious. Any sensible person would have given up, would have taken the money. But you, you just kept sticking your nose where it didn't belong."_

 _"You can't do this."_ Her body was heavy and her head was pounding. The drugs were slowly wearing off. Slowly.

The man gave her another look and leaned back, placing his hands together on his lap. " _Yet, here we are."_

His face distorted into one of pain and he had blood soaking up his neat white shirt. _"Miss Page-"_ Dull eyes stared at her in disbelief causing a sickening sensation to run through her body. _"You won't be the first to die."_

Gunshots rang in her head and she sucked in a shaky breath, standing from her seat. She hadn't reach for the gun but it was heavy in her hand as she tried to leave. He was in front of her now, perfectly fine with a grin she would have found charming if they weren't on different sides. He distorted again like a computer glitch and he wasn't smiling anymore.

 _"I hate this city."_ Wesley was watching her like he was unable to recognize her and he stepped forward. _"He loves this city. In a way you and I never could."_ His fingers felt cold against her jaw and she couldn't suppress the shiver that ran through her. _"He loves his mother."_

 _"You didn't tell him."_ Everything was quiet besides the echo of her words ringing off the walls of the empty warehouse and fading away.

Wesley tilted his head with a soft smile, his shirt soaking red once more. _"No."_

In that moment, he changed again and it was Wilson Fisk standing before her, large hands grasping her throat. He squeezed and his words shot through her like a bullet. _"But I know."_

Karen bolted up in a panic as she struggled to breathe and get her senses. Her face was wet with tears and she ran her hands through damp hair. Sobs escaped her and she shook so much the bed rattled. She never thought Wesley of all people would haunt her dreams like this. They'd never had any other interactions before. He must have known a lot about her though. Ignoring that dangerous thought, she stumbled out of bed and raced to the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water and chugging. Her throat burned and she choked, coughing and holding her sides as she breathed deeply.

For a moment she felt hopeless, trapped inside her empty and quiet home. She wanted to drink like she did the first night. The first night she had nightmares. The night after her kidnapping and her murderous secret.

Instead, she turned on the coffee pot and made coffee all through the night. There wasn't a chance she was getting any more rest this night. Opening her laptop and tossing around all her files, she begins to work under just a simple desk lamp to light up the words and pictures on paper. After her third pot of coffee, she was connecting everything about some shit bag who stole thousands from their client and his activities. This isn't something she would do. No, she would let Matt and Foggy handle their own case but she needed a distraction.

The words in her nightmare caused her anxiety to jump, but she shook it away. She would be dead if he know that she killed Wesley. Fisk was locked away with no one to turned to and yet, she still feared that this nightmare would become a reality. He killed Ben, why wouldn't he come after her?

"Christ," Karen downed another cup and rubbed her forehead. The sun was rising and the clock said it was time for her to leave.

Pushing all thoughts of Fisk and Wesley from her mind, she took a shower and dressed in her usual; blouse and skirt paired with black heels. Grabbing her purse, she headed out the door and into the cool morning air. Wesley had taken her away right here on the steps of her apartment building, but it was dark then and now it was bright.

Taking a breath, she again attempted to rid the man of her mind and walked down the street. Karen stopped only to get more coffee and a couple more for her coworkers. They were always so thankful when she brought coffee so early in the morning. When she entered the office, she was alone.

"Foggy? Matt?" Silence.

So she sat and waited and drank her coffee to clear the fuzziness of her mind. She was tired. Neither of the men knew about her night with James Wesley. They didn't know why Fisk had her so scared. They were the lawyers that locked him away. She was the one who dug up his past and killed his only friend. She was responsible for Ben's death and she still beat herself up over it, despite her friends attempt to comfort her.

"Are you alright?"

She jumped at the voice and looked up to see Matt watching her. Well, he was facing her. "Yeah, why?" Foggy was standing in the doorway of his office with his arms crossed.

"You- You just seemed stressed is all. We are worried about you." Matt gave a soft smile and she honestly couldn't help but smile back.

Foggy glanced at his watch and grabbed his jacket. "Well, Matt and I need to go to the courthouse. Just a little minor thing, but afterwards we should go get a drink." He grinned and helped his friend with his jacket.

Karen paused and her smile disappeared. "I think- I think I'm just going to finish up here and head home. Maybe next time, though?"

Matt watched her with hesitation but nodded and held his walking stick close. Foggy gave a nervous laugh and agreed. They exited out the door and she was alone again. She rubbed her temple and stood. Organizing files was a perfect distraction for her and she took the time to create sections and categories. It kept her mind off of everything and it was what she had really needed for just a few short hours.

Just like any other day, nothing happened. She went home and sat on her couch, kicking off her heels and just staring. She drank whatever beer was left in her fridge and she collapsed on the bed when it got too late. Exhaustion won over her attempt to stop the nightmares from returning.

 _"Why did you kill me, Miss Page?"_

Again she was shaking, but this time they weren't at the warehouse. They were in her home. Karen was sitting on her bed in the shirt and underwear she fell asleep in, but he was wearing the same black suit he died in.

 _"You were never really in any danger. You just had to do what I asked. We could have worked together."_ It was like he was still alive, talking to her like this. Perhaps it was just her own guilt trying to torment her over his death. His face changed in a flash, the same glitch-like motion. _"You, you left an impression-"_

 _"Stop it."_ She'd hoped he would stop at her interruption.

Wesley just smiled softly as he continued back on track, the same words from that night. _"The nice blonde lady with the big blue eyes."_ He frowned and looked away as if looking around her apartment. _"I put the gun on the table to scare you, not kill you."_

Karen covered her ears because these were words she had in her head. Of course it was all in her head. The traitorous thoughts calling her a monster and using anything against her to prove just how horrible she was. Wesley was a dangerous man who worked for a murderer but she just didn't feel right _killing_ anyone, even if they deserved it.

She had replayed every moment of the memory since it happened and she had asked every possible question. Why didn't he tell Fisk about her finding his mother? Why didn't he just kill her when he grabbed her outside her building? Why had he come alone and why did he put the gun on the table, so close to her reach? The words were on the tip of her tongue. Just ask this ghost of the man in her head, perhaps he has her answers.

Wesley just laughed innocently and shook his head as if he could hear her thoughts. Of course he could. _"I'm not real, Miss Page, but I will be here for a long time."_ Gunshots. He was bleeding again, slumped in the old chair in her apartment and she screamed.

"Fuck!" She gasped as she woke, covering her eyes with her hands. The energy to sit up wasn't there so she laid on the bed and cried. How much could her heart handle? After she was able to calm down, the clock read three in the morning so she rolled off the bed. Her clothes stuck to her body and she took them off as she stood.

The time in the shower was a blur. She could have been in there for ten minutes or it could have been an hour. Once she was out, she wore her towel as she made coffee and rested on the couch and turned on the television.

The nightmares continued for weeks on end. Some nights she'd be so exhausted she could sleep without any problems. Yet Wesley showed up to taunt her, remind her of what she had done. Getting by during the day was simple. When she was alone all the thoughts came flooding back. Nothing would stop the man from dying every time she closed her eyes and she was starting to get used to it, as much as that pained her.


	2. Monsters

Karen ended up moving into a new apartment a couple weeks after Wesley died in her bedroom. Well, sort of. Her dreams would be so clear, so vivid that, in her sleep deprived state it was hard to remind herself that it wasn't real. That he died in that warehouse and not in her own home. Every time she would look at that chair- every time she would wake up, it was all she could think about. He had died in other areas, in her head as she slept. The kitchen, the bathroom, and even her own bed. That one was enough to make her skin crawl and for her to cry for ten minutes straight.

Foggy and Matt had come to help her with the move and she was thankful for their presence. They joked and laughed and she genuinely felt good. Like nothing had changed at all. They went out for drinks afterwards, after she told herself to stop pushing them away to deal with her own grief. Nothing about it was healthy.

The boys accepted her back with embraces and beer, the pool table and catchy music. Josie's has never felt more comforting than now. Matt had touched her hand softly and she felt her heart race. She smiled and took his hand in hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. She took Foggy's arm on her other side as they walked down the darkened street together. Karen wanted to be anywhere but home.

It didn't really help but over the time it was almost comforting when Wesley appeared in her dreams. He would just stare at her without speaking. That should frighten her more than anything, but it didn't. Some nights it was casual conversation with her relentless paranoia that something bad was going to happen. Nothing.

Tonight though, the warehouse was colder than usual, but perhaps her new apartment was just taking time to adjust to being used again. Wesley was sitting across from her with one leg over the other, hands folded in his lap. She looked around like she was just waiting for it all to happen again. His eyes were fixed on her, following her, watching her.

 _"Wesley,"_ Karen felt she deserved to be able to call him by name now. This went on far too long.

At her words, he blinked. _"You don't seemed scared anymore."_

 _"Is that what you're doing? Trying to scare me? I get awfully tired of being scared every night."_ She shook her head and glanced away from him. Why was he so _real_? She was talking to a dead man in her dreams, but he seemed as real as the night she watched him take his last breath.

Wesley pursed his lips and sat forward as his eyes bore into her. His voice sounded so cold as if he was actually wanting to scare her. That's why he appeared every night, right? _"How are you so calm, when my employer knows what you did? He'll make sure your pretty little head is crushed like an aluminum can."_

 _"Why hasn't he done it yet?"_ Karen was braver than that. Maybe she _has_ gotten to comfortable.

He smiled now. A cruel smile that sent a chill through her. _"He wants to do it personally. Once he's free, he will pay you a visit, Miss Page. I can assure you. Perhaps he will see to it that Mr. Nelson and Mr. Murdock get a chance first."_

Now she was shaking and she knew he was only filling her head with thoughts and ideas. Frankly, it was working in his favor. It wasn't the first time he's threatened her close friends, even after death. The table was gone and their chairs were so close their knees touched. She wanted to bolt, run away and ignore what he was about to say. She couldn't.

Wesley barely moved as usual, but up close his gaze looked deadly. The dim light above them flickered ominously. Footsteps echoed around them and her heart sped up. _"You killed me, Miss Page. The only reason why I'm still here is because you feel guilt. Perhaps one day you will forget me, but once you're dead, we can continue these little talks. This,"_ He gestures around them. _"will never leave you."_

The god damn worthless light above them swayed and her head snapped up as the footsteps stopped. Fisk stood behind him and cracked his knuckles. Her heart was beating like a drum and all her courage almost vanished but she felt rage build. Adrenaline. _"You aren't real. You can't threaten me like this."_

 _"I suppose you're right."_ Wesley smirked and briefly looked to the side. As if like a poison, the fear came rushing back and her body felt numb. _"But I will slowly devour you. The guilt will eat you away until there's nothing left. Might as well be dead."_

 _"You can't kill me."_

 _"No, I can't, and I wouldn't. But he can, and he will."_

Fisk came closer and she couldn't scream this time. She woke up.

They took a new case. One worth taking, she thought. The Irish were taken out by what they were saying- several men with military grade weapons. Grotto had found them at the bar and told them the whole story and then passed out, wounded from a bullet. They rushed him to the hospital where she stayed by his side. Karen hadn't expected a man to come after them, chasing them through the building while firing a shotgun. Sure, she did think it was possible, but perhaps she'd hoped they had more time. They had ran and he had followed. She lost a back window and a mirror of Ben's car, having to replace them with what money she could get.

She hadn't expected them to make a deal with the District Attorney. They filled them in on their plan and had pulled out all their files on the shooter. Despite how grotesque and disturbing it all was, she looked them over and over. Tower had explained that this man knew who he was killing, that they had given him the name The Punisher.

 _'Punisher' is just a nickname._

 _Yeah, well, what if I deserve it?_

Ever since the attack she had thought about Wesley. The guilt and blame was stronger than ever and it was starting to wear her down. It wasn't Wilson Fisk coming to get revenge but maybe this man was going to make up for it. The Punisher who takes out bad guys. She had killed Wesley. Doesn't that make her the monster? This man was here to punish her for all the things she had done in her past.

She had thought about telling Foggy. To explain why she deserved it, but it would have done more harm than good. That she had kept this secret from him for so long and was only going to bring it up when a man was possibly going to serve her justice. They changed the conversation away from that matter and she moved on. Wesley is a secret she will have to bury with her.

Nothing she could've done would have saved Grotto. He had called her after Reyes' shit show in trying to bait the Punisher. Karen pleaded with him to meet her, yet he just told her to hell and the line dropped. Breathing was hard. If he died, would that be on her too? She promised him that they would get him protective custody, that they would keep him safe.

One little trip to the DA's office was a risk that she was willing to take. She did what she did best and threw everything she had on previous ADA's, hoping to persuade him to throw Reyes under the bus. Was she trying to scare him? Perhaps, she had learned on several occasions that this tactic worked. Almost worked on her. Tower did well at making her believe he was telling her to get out of his office, but the files he gave her were a big score. A small smile pulled her lips as she got into the car, eyeing the rather large folder he handed her.

Karen went back to the office and opened her first set of photos. They were gruesome and caused her stomach to lurch but she moved to the floor and spread them out. She made notes of the victims; the way they died, what crimes they were being punished for. How could one man be capable of so much violence? Then she opened the large folder labeled Metro-General Hospital, slowly pulling out the X-ray picture of a skull. At first she didn't understand what it all meant, why Tower had given her this. Her eyes moved up and found a small mark on the skull and it made sense. This man was shot in the head.

Curiosity got the best of her and she sought out more information. Everything connected to the mans nurse, who was fired from Metro-General and also the last person to see him. He told her that John Doe was shot point blank in the head, and flatlined for about a minute before coming back to life. He had told him to take him home, and she got the address. Upon breaking into his home, she was not prepared for all that she saw. Toys and drawings and family photos everywhere. Military achievements. He was a war hero.

That night another dream of Wesley. They were in her apartment and yet, she wasn't afraid. She sat on her bed and he sat in his usual chair. He took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. Putting them back on, his eyes found her.

 _"Why are you trying so hard to dig up this man's past? When will you learn to just let it be? You did the same with Fisk, and look what happened. What makes you think something like that won't happen again?"_

Her chest heaved and she looked away, forming her words. It was like having a conversation with herself, but herself was Wesley. It seemed crazy but even with that it was easier. _"He had a normal life. His family was killed and he's looking for answers. Wouldn't you want the same?"_

He was silent for a moment. _"Is this about your brother? Nobody found answers for you?"_

 _"How-"_

James Wesley rolled his eyes and gave her an annoyed look. _"I'm inside your head. I know everything because I'm not real."_

She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. Its easy to forget that sometimes. _"What if I can help him though? Everyone is against him, but what if just finding the evidence will get him to stop? I know I won't be able to talk to him, but-"_ She stopped in her sentence and looked up at him. He was a genius. Rather, she was but it wasn't important. _"Newspapers. That's how I got Fisk's attention. I can stop by the Bulletin and maybe if this story goes out-"_

Wesley cut her off and she blinked. _"That would be insane. If he is really coming after you for killing me, you will just be that much easier to find."_

 _"But how does he know?!"_ Karen was getting fed up and some pieces were just falling into place. _"No one reported on your death, and I seriously doubt Fisk would spread the word, even if he knew. I find it hard to believe Frank Castle knows about it."_

He was silent. Watching her, reading her like an open book. _"Maybe not for me, but for what you did in the past? All of our pasts come back to haunt us, Miss Page. It was only a matter of time before it came for you."_

 _"I already have you. That alone is enough. Nobody knows anything about my past, I doubt that's what this is."_

Wesley smirked and tilted his head. _"I knew."_

 _"No you didn't."_ Karen glared at him and leaned back against the headboard.

He chuckled and shrugged in defeat. _"I guess we will never know, will we?"_

Wesley disappeared with a small smile. She slept till morning.

She had spent the next morning collecting newspapers. All of them painted Frank Castle as a deranged lunatic, but somewhere in her head she disagreed with them, remembering everything that she saw that night in his house. She had brought it up to Matt and Foggy but they wouldn't listen. There was more to the story, yes, and she wanted so badly to get to the bottom of it.

The Bulletin was bustling, yet finding Ellison was easier than she had expected. She confronted him about his articles, how inaccurate they were and that they were just wrong. She told him everything she found about his family and the Navy Cross. He led her to the back room and she set to work on the newspapers, looking for anything that would help her piece together the story. It wasn't until Ellison came back that they found just one article. A gang-on-gang shootout that took place in a park.

Now, she stood outside Frank Castle's hospital room with Matt and Foggy at her side. She held Matt's hand, but the moment they walk into the room and face Castle, she lets go. The man on the hospital bed is bruised from head to toe and there's red tape surrounding his bed. Matt walks forward and addresses him.

"Yeah, I know who you are. You protect shitbags."

Karen felt awkward and reluctant, but at the mention of Grotto, she pulled out the photo she had of his family and violated the rules of the red line, stepping over it and showing the man. He seemed shocked and distressed. It was like a switched popped on and she was angry at him, but also at the situation.

"You want answers? Well so do we, but none of us will get them if you're dead." Matt was pulling her away but she fought against him.

Frank's jaw tightened as he looked up at her. "Where did you get that?" When she told him, she thought he was going to yell, but he was quiet. "You were in my house? Why were you in my house?"

Reyes was heard outside the hospital room, so she cut in before he could speak. "Someone is lying about what happened to your family, Mr. Castle."

Her eyes never left his as he seemed to be processing her words. Looking into his eyes, watching the sadness and hopefulness take over, she wanted so badly now to help him. If it was her family, she would want someone to do the same for her. To give her that hope, to know that someone _knew_ what was happening and cared.

When they came back, he asked to talk to her alone and she agreed. He asked about what she knew and she broke it down for him, telling him everything they were saying all the false stories and reports. He told her what he remembered and it took everything in her not to cry. She almost thought twice about getting too involved in this, but she had to. It was to important to her.

"You were never in any danger."

The words snapped her out of her thoughts and her blood ran cold. Where has she heard those words before? Oh right, in her head coming out of all-in-her-head Wesley's mouth. She looked up at him, but this wasn't Wesley, this was Frank Castle who wasn't really trying to threaten her. Was it so different though? She could have been shot. Either times.

"What?"

"The other night, babysitting that shit brick, running around with that Grotto. I just-" He stopped and she looked down. "I only hurt people who deserve it. I wanted you to know that."

They talked about his home- his family and every word he said was soft and gentle. He smiled and she smiled back with a new feeling in her chest, her stomach, and flowing throughout her whole being. They said horrible things about this man but she was looking at someone completely different. A kind man who looked at her with a sense that if he blinked she'd disappear.

Wesley briefly flashed through her mind and she swallowed hard. This man killed so many people for the sake of finding the answers, and maybe, just maybe he wasn't all they were making him out to be. If he was a monster, then she was as well. Although her heart was saying he wasn't a monster at all. So maybe there's still hope for her.


End file.
